Field rodent · Apodemus sylvaticus
The wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) lives outdoors: gardens, vegetable patches, forest edges. It enters homes in autumn to overwinter and stores provisions in its burrows.
Unlike the house mouse, the field mouse digs branched burrows 50 to 100 cm deep in which it stores seeds, nuts and bulbs. It eats seedlings, root vegetables and bulb plants, causing significant damage to vegetable gardens. In autumn, it moves into garages, basements and attics. It can transmit leptospirosis through its urine.
Questions fréquentes
How do I tell a field mouse from a house mouse?
The field mouse is larger (8–10 cm body) with large prominent black eyes, big ears and a two-tone coat — russet brown on top, off-white on the belly. Its developed hind legs let it leap. The house mouse is smaller, uniform grey-brown, and lives indoors year-round.
Is the field mouse dangerous to health?
Yes. Its urine can contain Leptospira interrogans, the bacterium responsible for leptospirosis (fever, jaundice, kidney damage). The risk is small but real, particularly for gardeners without gloves and owners of infested basements. Licensed rodenticides must be used in a food-safe manner.
Can I just leave field mice in my garden?
In small numbers, their impact is limited. But an uncontrolled population systematically destroys bulbs, seedlings and root vegetables. In autumn, they colonise buildings. Preventive treatment from September onwards is recommended for vegetable gardens.
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